Body in lake: No foul play suspected

May 12, 2011

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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E. Collazo, an investigator of the Orange County Sheriff Department coroners' office, places a pair of shoes near the body of a man found dead at Eisenhower Park. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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A resident who came to fish at Eisnehower Park spotted a man's body shortly before 6 a.m. on the east side of the lake. Police have not identified the man yet and have no other information. Sgt. Mark Hensler said there were no immediate signs of violence, but had no other details. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Early Thursday morning, Orange police officers stand next to the body of a man found in the lake at Eisenhower Park. After being called by a resident, police found the clothed body of a man, in the lake and pulled him to the west shore. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Early Thursday, a man was found dead in the lake at Eisenhower Park by a local resident, who was there to fish. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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E. Collazo, an investigator of the Orange County Sheriff Department coroners' office, left, and Orange police officer B. Chambers look through personal belongings found near the body of a man found dead at Eisenhower Park. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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A section of the walkway around the lake of Eisenhower Park, Orange, was closed off by police after they responded to a report of a man's body in the lake. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Several Orange police officers arrived early Thursday morning to investigate a body seen floating in the lake at Eisenhower Park. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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A resident walking in Eisenhower Park is stopped by an Orange police officer from circling the lake as police investigate a dead body that was found in the lake early Thursday morning. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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E. Collazo, an investigator of the Orange County Sheriff Department coroners' office, left, prepares his report after the body of a man was in the lake at Eisenhower Park. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Orange County Sheriff Department Coroner transport van parks on the walkway around the lake at Eisenhower Park as a dead body was removed from the scene. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

E. Collazo, an investigator of the Orange County Sheriff Department coroners' office, places a pair of shoes near the body of a man found dead at Eisenhower Park. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

ORANGE – Police do not believe foul play was involved in the death of a 39-year-old man whose body was found in a park lake early Thursday, but are still trying to piece together what happened.

A passerby spotted the body of Kenneth Sproul of Anaheim in the lake at Eisenhower Park shortly before 6 a.m. He had no apparent injuries, and police found no signs of violence.

Sproul was clothed but not wearing shoes. The cause of his death is still under investigation. Sgt. Dan Adams said there was no evidence of foul play, but also no witnesses to what happened.

Jeremy Hicks, 27, fishes regularly at the park but was blocked by police when he arrived Thursday morning. He said a friend and fishing buddy was at the lake earlier when he saw something floating in the water.

"As he got closer, he realized what he was seeing was a t-shirt and called 911," Hicks said.

The park is closed overnight but is not gated. Adams said police do routine patrols through the park, but reported nothing unusual before the body's discovery Thursday morning.

This is the second time in recent months that a body has been found in the park lake. In October, a fisherman found the body of a 32-year-old man in about 5 feet of water, 20 feet from the shoreline. The man, a former Anaheim resident, was believed to be a transient who frequented the park.

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